Simplicity isn't a bad thing, especially in the world of smartphone gaming. Too many titles get lost underneath complex control systems and overly clever mechanics, disappearing behind a cloud of frustration.

Of course, if you travel too far down the uncomplicated path, you're in danger of creating a game that isn't really a game at all, just some pretty pictures and a raw mechanic.

Everplay's Pinch Peeps just about swerves the potential pitfalls littered along the 'simple' road, but there's not enough meat on its bones to keep you interested for too long.

Jeepers peepers

As its name suggests, the game is all about pinching and matching together pairs of cute cartoon creatures, who float in from the top and bottom of the screen.

The quicker you pinch them together, the more points you receive, with full-on smashes yielding more points than glancing blows. Joining pairs in quick succession increases your multiplier, meaning the quicker you match, the higher your score.

Alongside larger, multi-faceted peeps, you'll also have to deal with bombs, which need to be flicked apart rather than together. Later on, you'll encounter pulsating strips of black wall that require you to swing your peeps in different directions to get the best contacts.

Two modes are available in Pinch Peeps: Timed and Endless. The former gives you 99 seconds to score as many points as possible, while the latter hands you three lives, which can be lost by missing connections or letting bombs explode.

Time constraints

After a few plays, you'll have seen pretty much everything that Pinch Peeps has to offer. The quick-fire gameplay is fun for a while, and trying to beat your high score becomes an addictive pursuit. In the end, though, the game's paucity of content is telling.

It might not last very long, then, but it is gorgeous to look at. It's also easy enough to pick up that the time you do spend with it is an awful lot of fun.

Pinch Peeps is a nice idea, which is well implemented - it's just a shame that it doesn't quite have the depth of gameplay to keep you coming back.